Elizabeth Shepherd
Besides
(Do Right Music)
In the wake of a breathtaking debut, Shepherd delivers a set of surplus for those who can’t get enough, and remixes for hipsters who found the first album’s jazz too old-school. The four new songs show no dip in quality. The only choice is to be amazed at how well her bluesy “One Trump Card” stands beside the interpretations of Lionel Hampton and Chick Corea, or to be dazzled by her range of influences and how much her own verve adds to them. A few numbers from Start to Move get multiple remixes. Nostalgia 77’s take on “Reversed” may add the most modernity without crowding the Torontonian’s freshness. This is disc two of the album of the year.
Doug Taylor
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.